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Soils and Hydroponics Management. Unit 9 AgriScience 1. Media definition: material that provides nutrients and support through plant root systems. Plant Growing Media. Soil Defined:.
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Soils and Hydroponics Management Unit 9 AgriScience 1
Media definition: material that provides nutrients and support through plant root systems. Plant Growing Media
Soil Defined: • Soil is the mineral and organic matter that supports plant growth and is a mixture of rock particles, organic matter, living forms, air and water. Air Mineral matter- 45% Water OM5%
Soil- Planet Earth Land- 33.3% Water- 66.7%
Soil- Agricultural land Crops- 2.9% Non Ag 24.4% Non Ag 24.4% Grazing-5.7% Ag – 8.6% Water- 66.7% Water- 66.7%
Soil- Land Use in IOWA Forest 4.9% Pasture- 12.7% Minor 2.7% Land in US- 6.2% Grazing-5.7% Transportation 3% Iowa- .1% All Land- 93.7% Crop- 74.3%
Soil-less Media • Media Mixes • Perlite • Vermiculite • Peat moss • Sphaghnum moss • Sand • Compost • Wood chips, barks • Water- Hydroponics
Soil Formation Climate Living Organisms Parent Material Topography Time Weathering
Climate • Temperature • Chemical reaction rates • Growth of fungi, bacteria, plants Rainfall Increases erosion rate Increases leaching
Living Organisms Decomposers- fungi and bacteria- aid in organic matter breakdown. Plants- add organic material to soil Earth worms- help create soil structure and breakdown plant residue.
Parent Material Residual Mineral Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic Organic Peat Transported Glacial till-ice Alluvial- water Loess- wind blown Colluvium- gravity added by water Lacustrine- lake deposits
Time Organic matters decreases and more leaching occurs Organic matter builds up soil becomes more productive Young to old soils
Identifying Land Areas and Capability Legal description-location Old-Use a Soil Survey NEW-Digital Map resources
Legal Description • A legal method of describing property for recording on deeds. • 2 major systems used • Metes and Bounds • Rectangular survey
Metes and Bounds • Used in the East and Southwest in early settlement. • Uses major landmarks as a marking system. • Many disputes when landmarks changed.
Rectangular Survey • Adopted in 1875 • Latitude and longitude based. • Baselines and principal meridians • 5th meridian is our principle meridian.
Townships • Laid out starting at the intersection of principle meridian and baseline. • 6 miles square • 50 feet shorter on the north boundary. • Correction lines every 24 miles
Townships • 36 square miles • 1 mile square each • numbered
Sections • 1 square mile • 640 Acres • further subdivided and described by halves and quarters
Build a Legal Description • Start with smallest fraction • section • township • county • State
Land is more than soil • Natural and artificial characteristics of an area to be used for agricultural or other purposes • Includes renewable and nonrenewable resources plus improvements
Land • The surface of the earth not covered with water • Maybe temporarily or permenently covered with water • A pond for aquaculture is considered land
Cropland • Used for growing crops • Crops grown typically improve the tilth of the land
Arable land • Land that can be used for row crops • Can be tilled • Alternatives include pasture and forest crops
Major Characteristics of Cropland • Soil - Large impact on productivity. Soil texture, nutrients and internal structure • Climate - average of water conditions over a long time • Topography - form or outline of the surface of the earth • Water supply - amount of water available for crops
Subsurface conditions - Soil textures, hardpans • Pollution - can prevent plant growth
Alternative Uses • Best land use is determined by how the land will give the most benefits to people. • Which use will give the highest returns • What will happen if productive cropland is used for other purposes?
Land Improvement • Four common practices to improve arable land • Irrigation • Erosion Control • Drainage • Forming (land forming)- surface is smoothed or reshaped.
Capability Factors • Characteristics of land that determine its best use • Surface texture • proportion of sand, silt, clay down to about 7 inches • three major classifications • sandy • loamy • clayey
Soil Tilth • Physical condition of the soil that makes it easy or difficult to work • Poor tilth has hard clod • Maybe very wet or very dry
Internal drainage • Permeability- movement of water and air through soil • Directly related to nutrient content • Classified as very slow, slow, moderate and rapid • water quickly soaks into sandy soil with high permeability • soils with clay have slow permeability
Soil Depth • Thickness of the soil layers • Requirement depends upon type of crop to be produced • Four soil depths are used • very shallow - less than 10 inches • shallow - 10 to 20 inches • moderately deep - 20 to 36 inches • deep - over 36 inches • Shallow soils are often the result of erosion
Erosion • Loss of topsoil by wind or other forces • Four categories • very severe erosion- 75% or more and large gullies are present • severe erosion - 75% of soil has eroded but no large gullies present • moderate erosion- 25 to 75% of soil has eroded with small gullies present • none to slight erosion - less than 25% of soil has eroded and no gullies are present
Slope • The rise and fall of the elevation of the land • Measured in percents • Important in determining the best use of the land
Surface Runoff • Water from rain, snow, or other precipitation that does not soak into the ground • Can be reduced by conservation practices • chopping stalks • terraces • ground cover
Land Capability • Suitability of land for agricultural uses. • Usage should not cause damage to the land although nutients maybe removed
Land Capability Classes • Assigning a number to land • Eight classes used • I to VIII with I being the best arability • Class I to IV can be cultivated • V to VIII tend to have high slope or low and wet
Classes • Class I - Very good land • Very few limitations • deep soil and nearly level • can be cropped every year as long as land is taken care of • Class II - Good land • has deep soil • may require moderate attention to conservation practices
Class III - moderately good land • crops must be more carefully selected • often gently sloping hills • terraces and stripcropping are more often used • Class IV - fairly good land • lowest class cultivated • on hills with more slope than class III • Class V - Unsuited for cultivation • can be used for pasture crops and cattle grazing, hay crops or tree farming • often used for wildlife or recreation areas
Class VI - Not suited for row crops • too much slope • usually damaged by erosion with gullies • can be used for trees, wildlife habitat, and recreation • Class VII - Highly unsuited for cultivation • has severe limitations • permanent pastures, forestry, wildlife • slope is usually over 12 percent • large rock surfaces and boulders may be found • very little soil present
Class VIII • Cannot be used for row crops or other crops • often lowland covered with water • soil maybe wet or high in clay • aquatic crops maybe grown there • used for waterfowl habitat
What is a Soil Profile?- a view of a cross section of soil • 0 Horizon-located on surface, mostly O.M. • A Horizon-Called Topsoil, good amounts of O.M. and minerals. • B Horizon- Known as Subsoil, Less O.M. • C Horizon- Mostly parent material, does little for plant growth. • R- bedtrock
Soil Profile- • Differences in layers based on: • Organic matter • Texture • Color • Structure